ON ITS AXIS is an award‑winning innovation consulting firm that helps organizations launch products, redesign teams and transform operations with a focus on sustainability, inclusion and digital transformation. [1][4]
High‑Level Overview
- Mission: Prepare companies for the future by building profit resilience, enabling organizational change and improving internal systems through business process automation and digital transformation.[1][2]- Investment philosophy / Key sectors / Impact on startup ecosystem: As a consulting firm rather than an investor, ON ITS AXIS focuses on delivering product strategy, organizational development, human‑centered design, and innovation/ESG strategy across industries including Energy & Utilities, Healthcare, Consumer Packaged Goods, Enterprise Technology and Nonprofits; its impact on the startup and corporate innovation ecosystem is delivered via product consulting, talent services and pro bono/mentorship programs that help early‑stage teams and social‑impact organizations scale more sustainably.[2][4][5]
Essential context: ON ITS AXIS packages services across four core practice areas—Organizational Development & Change Management, Research & Human‑Centered Design, Business & Digital Transformation, and Innovation & ESG Strategy—and operates as a certified diverse California small business (SBE, WBE, WOSB, LGBTBE, HubZone). [2][1]
Origin Story
- Founding year and evolution: The firm traces origins to work on a startup at Yahoo and grew into a formal California small business; it was founded in 2009 and incorporated in California in 2014.[4][2]- Key people: Shelley (Founder + Principal) leads as an innovation strategist with expertise in product strategy, UX, research and change management; Kelly (Executive) leads organization design, change agility and D&I efforts.[5]- How the idea emerged & early traction: The idea emerged while building a startup at Yahoo—founders saw recurring waste in product development (overworking, overbuilding, overspending) and started a consulting practice to bring product and people strategies to high‑tech and digital health clients, later expanding into staffing/talent services and a community (360 Talent Collective).[4]
Core Differentiators
- Holistic innovation + operations blend: Combines product strategy and human‑centered design with organizational development and digital transformation to move both product roadmaps and internal capability forward.[4][2]- Diverse small‑business certifications: Holds multiple supplier certifications (SBE, WBE, WOSB, LGBTBE, HubZone) and government identifiers (CAGE, DUNS, NAICS codes), strengthening access to public sector and corporate supplier diversity opportunities.[2]- Talent‑centric model & social giveback: Runs a People Division and a 360 Talent Collective to source/shape talent; donates 10% of net staffing fees to client‑chosen nonprofits and provides pro bono mentorship to social good organizations.[4]- Cross‑industry experience: Track record serving energy, healthcare, CPG, enterprise tech and nonprofits—useful when customer problems require domain + product expertise.[2][4]- Practical certifications & capability transparency: Publishes capabilities and certifications (CAGE, DUNS, NAICS) that signal readiness for government and large enterprise engagements.[2]
Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
- Trend alignment: Rides the continuing demand for human‑centered product design, digital transformation, and ESG/inclusion strategy as firms seek profitable growth that’s resilient to market and regulatory shifts.[2][4]- Timing: Many organizations are prioritizing automation, inclusion and sustainability while trying to reduce product waste—ON ITS AXIS’s blend of product, people and process services addresses that convergence.[1][4]- Market forces in their favor: Corporate supplier diversity programs, increased enterprise spend on digital transformation, and rising focus on ESG/D&I create demand for certified, multidisciplinary consultancies.[2][1]- Influence: By combining consulting, staffing and pro bono/mentorship activities, the firm helps channel experienced product and organizational practices into early‑stage ventures and nonprofits, amplifying innovation capacity beyond single projects.[4]
Quick Take & Future Outlook
- Near term: Expect continued growth in digital transformation and ESG advisory work and expanded engagement with public sector or supplier‑diversity contracts thanks to their certifications and capability statements.[2][1]- Medium term trends that will shape them: Continued enterprise focus on human‑centered product design, automation of internal processes, and measurable ESG outcomes will sustain demand for integrated strategy‑to‑delivery consultancies. [2][4]- How influence might evolve: If ON ITS AXIS scales its 360 Talent Collective and staffing offerings while maintaining pro bono and mentorship commitments, it can broaden its impact on early‑stage ecosystems by funneling vetted talent and operational best practices into startups and social enterprises.[4]
Quick take: ON ITS AXIS positions itself as a multidisciplinary, certified small‑business partner that reduces product waste and builds organizational capability—an attractive option for enterprises and mission‑driven organizations seeking practical, human‑centered transformation.[4][2]
If you'd like, I can:
- Summarize their services and certifications into a one‑page capability brief, or- Pull recent case examples or public client engagements (if available) to illustrate outcomes and growth momentum.
